Past Lives
by Georgshadow
Summary: Slash/yaoi. The curry competition brings the prince and the khansama closer together. Explicit.


a/n: this is a new realm for me. I feel like most of my older fics seem very vanilla compared to this one. But I wanted to demonstrate the characters' relationship and avoid the horrible yaoi tropes that dictate dominance based on shallow things like a character's age or height. To address any concerns about Agni being OOC in this—yeah, he cries a lot, but it's canon in the manga at least, ha!

Also, near the beginning of the second segment, I reference something I read about Hindu mythology which mentions Agni (the god) "accepting semen" from both Shiva and, surprisingly, Soma (who is more commonly called Chandra). Unfortunately the only source I can find for this is one Wikipedia article, so it's very likely that this isn't really true. But hey, we're talking about a manga about a demon butler… we can pretend, right?

Thanks for reading!

* * *

_In a past life… _

"Agni," Soma said one hot afternoon as he lounged in one of the castle's shady pavilions, "May I ask you a question? One of a personal nature?"

"Of course, my prince," the khansama said, kneeling beside the thick cushion where the young man lay. In his hands he balanced an ornate tray, on top of which he began to peel and slice a chilled mango.

"Sensually, what does your taste prefer?" The prince, who had been curled up his side but now rolled gently onto his back, asked. "Do you enjoy the company of women only, or do you lay with men?"

Agni glanced at the young man through the corner of his eye, pretending to remain focused on the fruit. "I…" he paused, unsure what to say.

"Or perhaps both?" the young man mused. "Neither?"

Blushing despite his best efforts, Agni spoke softly. "I have been celibate since the day you named me, my prince," he confessed finally.

"Celibate?" Soma smiled at this. "You mean you're a virgin?"

"My prince…?"

"What happened in your past life is separate from your new life," the prince said. "If you have not had sex in this life, then you are a virgin. Is that correct?"

"I suppose it is," Agni answered, knowing with absolute certainty that whatever Soma said was true. However irrelevant, his past life had been different in more ways than just his caste. The thought of celibacy would never have crossed his mind, even as a child—he considered telling the prince in that moment that his first encounter had been with his brother's nursemaid when he was only thirteen.

Unless…

Agni paused at last from what he was doing and turned his gaze to the prince's face. He still bore a smile, although Agni was certain in that moment that its expression was now different, albeit familiar to him.

"If… it interests the prince," Agni said, softly, "The man I was in a past life preferred the company of women exclusively." Agni wondered if the waver he saw in Soma's smile was only imagined. Nonetheless, as he returned to cutting the mango into thin slices, he was sure to add, "However, as you said, I am a different man now."

"Indeed," Soma said. For a long moment afterward, there was a heavy silence between them, until the prince sighed and spoke again. "Even in the pavilion I am so hot I fear I can't lift my hand to eat."

"The heat does not affect me, my prince," Agni said, quickly, blinking sweat out of his eyes as he set aside the knife. "Allow me."

"Gladly," the young man said, shifting to sit upright so the nectar of the fruit didn't drip down his chin as Agni held the first slice to his lips. "Mmm," he purred at the taste, reaching up to hold Agni's wrist. "How very sweet," he murmured, meeting Agni's eyes before tightening his grasp and taking Agni's fingers in his mouth to lap up the sticky juice.

The khansama's heart raced, and he could feel the blood rushing through his body. So he had been right about the look on the prince's face. It was familiar—in a past life he had often summoned his father's servants to his bedroom and taken whatever he wished from them, and he knew the way one's face and body could communicate one's desires. Although he also knew even in that moment that the man he once was did things very different than his beloved Soma. The prince might have been assertive, but not cruel. He released Agni's hand and shifted to sit upright again, and while his posture was commanding and authoritative, Agni knew that the beautiful young man lacked even a shred of violence in his heart.

"Agni," Soma said gently, taking the tray from Agni's lap and setting it aside. "Will you stand for me?"

"Yes, my prince," Agni bowed slightly and rose to his feet, straightening his sherwani and keeping his eyes trained straight ahead.

"Hmm," Soma pondered aloud. "Turn, please?"

"Yes, my prince," Agni bowed again and stepped so that his back faced the young man. A moment later he felt the prince's hand on his inner thigh, sliding between his legs and up to his rear.

"Agni," Soma's voice was soft and serious, although unthreatening. "Like you, I have never been with a man. Even having my pick of any woman in Bengal, I grow tired of it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my prince."

"I have a certain hunger, Agni, and the sweetest fruit is not what will sate my appetite." The prince's hand moved higher, his stiff, straightened fingers sliding between the khansama's ass. "I want you, Agni. And I want you to give yourself to me."

Biting his lip at the unusual touch, Agni placed his godly hand over his heart. "Jo ajna," he said as he began to loosen the button at his collar.

* * *

_ A year later..._

In the carriage on the way back to the London townhouse, Agni sat beside the prince and watched the road go by out the window, listening to Soma chat excitedly with Ciel about all the things he planned to do during the rest of their stay in England, hardly able to hear a word that was spoken because he was too consumed with the way Soma leaned heavily on him and held onto his arm. It was the first physical contact they'd shared in a week, and he wished that the carriage ride would go on forever, and that Ciel and Sebastian would fade away and leave him alone with his beloved prince.

When they arrived, he remained in his daze, letting Soma hold his hand and lead him up the stairs and through the door. Vaguely he recalled Ciel's offer to join him for tea, and Soma politely declining.

"I've been through a lot today," the prince had said, softly. "I think I need to rest for a while, if you understand."

"Of course," the boy replied. "Sebastian, show Prince Soma to his room."

"Thank you, but Agni will take care of everything," Soma said. It was then finally that the khansama came to his full senses. He was standing in the parlor of the British townhouse, with Soma's hand clasped tightly around his. "Won't you, Agni?"

"Yes, my prince," Agni said, as naturally as always, as if the past week had never happened. But it most definitely had. Perhaps to the Englishmen beside them, nothing had changed, but Agni could see something new and different in the way Soma gazed up into his eyes. "You must save your energy, my prince," he said, bowing before lifting the young man effortlessly into his arms.

"You think of everything…" Soma replied, holding tight onto Agni's shoulders as he was carried up the flight of stairs.

In the humble room, Agni carefully lowered the prince onto the plain bed.

"Do you wish to sleep?" he asked, unclasping the prince's heavy jeweled necklace and setting it aside.

"No," Soma said, smiling. "I lied when I said I was tired. I wanted to spend time alone with you."

"Shall I close the door?" Agni felt himself blush.

"Yes," Soma nodded. "I know it's only been a week, but I feel like I've been away from you for a lifetime."

"I feel the same way," Agni replied, his voice cracking only slightly as he closed and locked the door, turning back to face the young man. "Indeed, I feel closer to you now than I ever have."

"Yes!" Soma said. The warm, inviting look on his face was the same one he wore back in town after the competition, and Agni feared he would begin to bawl again. "I realized today how special you are to me, Agni," the prince continued, interrupting his thoughts, "And one of the promises I made to myself back there after that competition was to treat you better and to show you how much I really do care for you." At this, he beckoned with his hands. "Will you still come to me and receive me, Agni?"

"Yes, my prince," Agni bowed and went to him, taking his hands and kneeling before him. "I will stay with you and serve you for the rest of my life."

"Will you still..." Soma blushed, "Let me take my pleasure from you?"

"I will," Agni said. "My prince, let me always drink of your seed, like the Vedic deity after whom I am named." At this, he buried his face in Soma's upturned hands. "You are my Chandra and my Shiva. You are my supreme deity, my moon and my sun."

Soma smiled softly, although Agni could sense a certain bitterness. "Oh, Agni. How wise you are, to know that I named you for those stories. When I first saw you, I thought of you as my fiery beast, a possession from whom I would take not only strength, but pleasure." He held Agni's head in his hands, moving only to run his fingers through the khansama's coarse white hair. "I saw myself as the moon god and I sought _mithuna_ with anyone who I could pretend was my Agni."

"Yes, my prince." Agni nodded, devoting his full attention to the prince's words.

"But I see now that you are more than that. I want more than _mithuna_ with you." At this he lifted Agni's face to meet his eyes. "You are my khansama, yes, and my lover. I want you by my side, always."

Agni couldn't say when his tears started, although he knew in that moment that he was drenching Soma's beautiful hands. "My prince, my prince," he muttered, drearily.

"Please don't cry, Agni!" Soma's smile broadened. "My sweet Agni, my love."

At this, Agni wept harder, although he tried desperately to stop. For his beloved prince, he must! But to see the tenderness in Soma's eyes, the true feeling showing clearly on his face, he sobbed aloud and clutched Soma's hands.

"I will stay with you," Agni whispered between shaky breaths. "I will eat, sleep and drink of you. I will serve you forever and live for nothing more than your smile and your touch."

"Agni," Soma bent to kiss his forehead, his parted lips brushing over Agni's bindi. He followed this by bending further to kiss each of Agni's tear-soaked cheeks and then his mouth, leaving the salty taste of tears lingering on both of their lips.

"Share kama with me," Soma said, softly. "Truest kama. Let our hearts become one, as with our bodies."

Agni nodded, barely able to whisper "Jo ajna," around the knot in his throat. He stood only long enough to hurriedly unwrap his headdress and peel off his clothes, the same way he had done for the prince countless times before. If it was ritual— and indeed, for Agni it was— it was as sacred as any holy rite.

When he was naked he lowered himself onto the bed next to Soma so that the prince could touch him as he pleased while Agni gingerly undressed him, not entirely unlike the way he did before he put the prince to bed each night.

But Soma had said he wanted it to be different now. As Agni carefully folded each of the prince's garments, Soma sighed and let his hands roam over Agni's strong thighs.

"I want to give you pleasure," the young man said.

"Being beside you is pleasure enough, my-" Agni began to say, but stopped short as the prince slid off the guest suite's mattress and knelt on the floor.

"How many times have I received this," Soma pondered, "And still I am unsure how to give it."

"My prince, please, you must not kneel before me," Agni grasped Soma's wrists and failed to fight the next wave of tears that escaped him.

"What do I do?" Soma gazed up at him, ignoring Agni's pleading. He slid his palms up Agni's leg, letting his fingertips brush through the curly hair at his lap. "This is white, too," Soma mused aloud. "How many times have I seen it and yet never noticed? There are many things I will learn about you, Agni. I will learn every inch of your skin, every fiber of your muscles. I will learn to please you the way you can please me."

Agni trembled. What had he ever done to deserve such caring and tenderness? But then again, the prince had always carried a certain kindness in his heart. It was one of many reasons why Agni loved him.

At the khansama's silence, Soma blushed slightly and took Agni in hand, his slender, manicured fingers wrapping around him like tendrils. "Like this?" he asked, or perhaps wondered aloud, before he opened his mouth and took his first taste.

Agni could hardly stand it. He cried softly to think that the prince would do such a thing for him. His hands hovered above the young man's head, too uncertain to touch him.

"I want you to enjoy this," Soma said, pausing for a moment, easily sensing Agni's bewilderment. "Please, Agni."

"Y-yes, my prince," Agni nodded. In his past life he would never have given it a second thought. Entitled, he would have seized the young man by the hair and thrust into his throat, royalty or not. Now, the privilege of even running his hands through those soft, violet waves was enough to make him sigh. Perhaps he was a fool as Mina said. Death might have been better than to be of Brahman caste but willingly serve a person who many saw as a child and a spoiled brat... then again, Mina didn't know the joy there was to see the prince kneeling between his legs, sucking him for the first time.

"Mm," Agni breathed deep the smell of Soma's perfumed hair. "N-not so hard, my prince."

"Yes," Soma mumbled around him.

"I'm sorry," Agni blubbered.

"Do not apologize!" Soma pouted, spitting him out. "This is an order, Agni— recieve your pleasure from me as I would do from you."

"Jo ajna," Agni nodded pitifully. He gritted his teeth as the prince resumed, avoiding gazing down at him.  
_I must_, he told himself._ I must let him give me the same enjoyment he takes from me_. With his left hand, he held the young man's hair out of his face and studied him. Seeing him as well as feeling him made Agni groan aloud. Soma was good, especially for his first time doing such a thing.

"The prince is gifted," Agni dared to speak, although his voice was strained.

Soma looked away, suddenly shy. "Thank you," he said softly, pausing for a moment to catch his breath and replace his mouth with his hand.

"It is I who should thank you. Being with you is a divine gift." Agni tried to sound certain and hold back his burgeoning emotion as he continued to lovingly brush the hair out of the young man's face.

"Do you really mean that, Agni?" Soma asked, looking away.

"I could never lie about such a thing, my prince."

Soma sighed and nestled his face in the soft white curls before him. "When you were with West, I feared part of the reason was that you'd grown tired of serving me, in this way and others." he sniffled slightly. "Surely the indignity of having to... to service a brat like me, bring treated like some harem whore, you'd grown to hate me."

All at once, Agni shook violently with the effort to hold back his feelings. It hurt him physically to know that the prince had even considered such a possibility. "My beloved prince, I could never in a million years ever even _think_ to hate you," he said. "Every moment that we were apart, I thought of you, and I longed to be by your side. At night, I dreamed of you, and I woke each morning with a prayer in my heart that one day you would forgive me and allow me to be near you once again."

Soma nodded. His voice shook as he said, "How selfish and conceited I've been, that I've never taken time to cultivate such a beautiful flower. It bloomed so eagerly I always took it for granted." He leaned forward again and met Agni's eyes before he resumed. "If such a flower can grow for me even without love and attention, I wonder how much more beautiful it will be when carefully tended to." With that, he parted his lips and took Agni in his mouth once again.

Agni moaned and let himself lean back on the springy mattress. His heart raced and he forced himself to pay attention to what Soma was doing to him. The prince's mouth was so soft, and it burned hot.

Without thinking he clutched the soft violet hair and pushed himself further into Soma's eager mouth, making him sputter and cough.

"I'm sorry! I'm sor-..." Agni wailed, making himself stop as Soma glared up at him and snorted scoldingly. _He wants me to enjoy this_, Agni told himself. _No apologies._ He laid back and spread his legs further, letting Soma settle closer to him and wrap his arms around his thighs. "When you are ready, my prince," Agni panted, "You may take me as you wish."  
Soma ran his fingers between Agni's legs, over soft skin, teasing the familiar opening, but as he stopped sucking, he said, "I... I thought you might want to be in that role instead."

Agni's heart nearly stopped. "Me? No, I could never penetrate you."

Soma laughed softly. "Agni."

"I know what you're going to say, my prince," Agni began, absent-mindedly moving his hips to meet Soma's fingertips. "And yes, it will hurt you, and I simply cannot enjoy something which would cause you any harm."

"So make sure it doesn't hurt me," Soma insisted. "Is it really that painful for you?"

"My prince." Agni bowed his head, "Even if you order me to do it, I fear I simply can't."

Soma sighed, although he showed very little frustration. "Very well. Perhaps not this time," he began to smile brightly. "But one day, I want to know the feeling of having you as deeply inside my body as you are in my heart."

Agni gulped. How strongly his beloved prince made him feel! He took the young man's hands in his own and pulled him to his feet. "I will grant you as much as I can," he said, somberly. "As long as I have your permission to do as I must with your body, and as long as you do not feign pleasure for my sake."

"You don't even need to ask!" Soma beamed. "I also hope that one day you will learn to take of me as you wish!"

Agni bowed again. "My prince," he said, vowing to do exactly that. He shifted on the bed and pulled Soma along with him, holding him by the waist. "Straddle me," he instructed, his voice still sounding far too uncertain.

"Of course," Soma said, bringing his leg over Agni's body, sitting lightly on his chest, twisting his spine like a contortionist to gaze back at the khansama.

"Closer," Agni said softly, holding the young man by the hips and guiding him back toward his face. "Do you wish for me to do this?" he ran his palms over the slight, round ass, letting his thumbs meet in the middle.

"Yes, of course!" Soma nodded, thrilled.

Agni brought one hand up the prince's spine, urging him gently to bend forward and expose himself. He gazed at what Soma had to offer, and, mumbling a fervent prayer of thanks to the gods, he traced a finger down the prince's ass before leaning forward and replacing it with his tongue.

Before him, he could hear Soma gasp aloud at the feeling. "A-... Agni..." he mumbled.

"Does this please you?" Agni asked before continuing.

"Yes..." Soma said, softly, before giving an embarrassed laugh. "It's just... I must taste terribly of cardamom and ghee from Mister Sebastian's curries."

Agni's eyes grew wide, first at the vulgarity of such a joke, and then at the memory of having to compete against that butler. To think about betraying his beloved prince...

"Agni, please continue," Soma tried, still twisting his body to gaze back at him. "It... it feels good! I want more."

"Yes, my prince," Agni averted his eyes, knowing he would never outlive the shame of turning against his beloved Soma, even if it was to spare his feelings. Soma might be able to forgive him, but each time he closed his eyes, he could see himself in West's drawing room, raising his godly hand to strike the beautiful young man.

_I will distract myself by serving my prince,_ Agni told himself, licking his lips and returning to Soma's soft bottom, holding him apart with his hands. He lapped obediently at the fresh opening, wondering whether he himself was still so tight and unmarred. Well, never would he be so perfect, but then again, Soma was a deity, even if only to him.

"Ahh!" Soma cried out as Agni's tongue pushed past the tight muscles. "How strange!" he said aloud, followed quickly by an order, "Don't stop!"

_He does really know me_, Agni thought, hesitating only a moment. _I must tell him how much he honors me. Another time, perhaps_. How difficult it was, he continued to ponder, to do such a thing to his god. But if it pleased the young man, he could do anything. And he would, one day, as the prince had requested.

"Do you want more, my prince?" he asked, pausing when he could feel Soma's body relaxing.

"Yes, yes," Soma breathed. "I want as much as you will give me."

Agni fought the need rising in him to rush. He wanted to serve his prince, and he wanted to do so without hurting him. With his left hand still holding apart the prince's ass, he brought his godly right hand to his mouth and used his teeth to tear away the bandage.

"With this hand, I will serve you," he said aloud, shaking the rest of the bandage aside before tracing bare fingertips along the soft, wet skin.

"You set me on fire where you touch me," Soma breathed, pushing back his hips, urging Agni to keep going. "I named you well."

Although his body shook, his godly hand was steady. The thought that it was indeed what the prince wanted drove the hand to move freely. The tip of his first finger slipped in slightly, and as the prince sighed and took in a deep breath, he pushed his hips back to accept the rest of it.

"A-Agni..." he panted. "You are no longer hard for me..."

"I'm sor-..." he stopped himself." My concentration is on you, my prince."

"Then mine shall be on you," Soma replied. He shifted his weight and brought a hand to Agni's cock, stroking it tightly from the awkward angle.

Agni sighed and thrust his finger into the prince's body. "My beautiful," he whispered, bending forward to continue licking in an effort to keep the prince as comfortable as he could. "My beloved."

"My khansama," Soma responded as he shifted his body to take Agni in his mouth again. Somehow, Agni thought in that moment, the young man's words were still twice as beautiful as his own.

Focusing on being gentle while the prince was doing such a wonderful thing to him took all his strength—but even in this task, the godly hand's power was immeasurable. While Agni was sighing against the prince's skin as Soma slowly lowered his head to take all of the now completely hardened cock, the hand steadily continued, sliding his finger skillfully into the prince's ass as effortlessly as the mysterious Phantomhive butler had wielded a fencing foil.

It wasn't long before Soma's movements became more stilted, and as the godly hand thrust into him harder he stopped. Finally Agni pushed his finger in all the way, bending it at the knuckle and making the prince cry out as it dragged along the knot inside of him.

"A-Agni," the prince's body twitched and Agni could feel his hard cock pressing down on his chest. "I can't wait any longer. Especially if you do such a thing to me."

"Do you wish to seek your relief?" Agni asked, aware that he himself could not hold back forever. Withdrawing the godly hand, he gently brought his palms around Soma's waist and guided him to sit upright again.

"Yes, please," the young man sighed. "I'm so sorry, Agni. I wanted you to take me this night, but..." he balanced himself on Agni's offered hand and swung his leg back over Agni's chest so that he now faced him. "I don't think I'm ready for that."

Agni smiled up at his beloved. "My prince, do not concern yourself. As I said, being near you is the only pleasure I need."

Soma returned the smile as he settled closer to let Agni take him deep in his mouth until his face pressed itself in soft violet curls. Sighing, Soma licked his own fingers and then brought his hand between Agni's legs, preparing the khansama as best he could. Agni groaned around the prince's cock at the feeling of the young man's slender, manicured fingers inside him. In his past life, he would never have dreamed of doing such a thing- of allowing such a thing to be done to him. Now, he thought, stopping and nodding his approval to the prince, he couldn't imagine being without it.

"You're ready, Agni?" Soma asked, clambering down the bed to kneel between Agni's legs.

"Yes, my prince," the khansama smiled and brought up his legs, bending his arms behind his knees, spreading himself for the prince.

"Ah! I never thought I would have this privilege again," Soma sighed, holding his cock and guiding it in carefully.

Agni gritted his teeth against the particularly dry entry but kept his eyes trained on the young man's slight body. How lovely he was! He reached to trace outstretched fingertips over Soma's stomach, recalling how sensual it looked the last time he'd had it painted with mehndi. He guided his focus to that memory of the prince's body, meditating on everything he loved about him and channeling it against the physical pain he felt from the lack of proper lubrication. In his haste to serve the prince, he'd neglected—again—to consider his own comfort.

"Agni," the prince groaned loudly, pushing the rest of the way in and then leaning his weight forward, pressing his palms down on Agni's thighs, holding him apart. His earrings jingled with his vigorous movements. "You are always burning inside! It fills me with passion for you!"

Agni replied with a labored groan. Any time the prince praised him, it drove him wild. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks and he fought against them, hoping the prince would believe they weren't from his pain, but his joy. Fortunately he seemed to, and he smiled as he met Agni's eyes, causing the khansama to weep louder.

"I shall tell you more often how I love you," the prince breathed.

"Oh," Agni wailed. "Soma..." What had he done in this or any life to deserve the affection of such a magnificent deity? He whimpered aloud as the beautiful young man fucked him, the godly hand moving to grasp at Soma's wrist.

"Take care of yourself," Soma panted, pushing the hand to Agni's cock. "I want you to finish when I do. Please."

"Jo ajna," Agni breathed, feeling the godly hand's fingers wrap around him and stroke him of its own accord, acting on the prince's wishes more than his own. Rarely in his life had he ever used the hand for himself- indeed, it felt like it belonged to somebody else, and he found himself thrusting into his palm in time with Soma's movements.

"Ahh, Soma I'm..." Agni shuddered as he tried to speak.

"Yes," Soma whined. "Yes, so am I!"

With that, the hand gave a last few firm strokes and Agni came, snarling through clenched teeth. Above him, Soma cried out and arched his back, digging his fingers into Agni's thighs and pulling out quickly, finishing on Agni's stomach only a moment after Agni did- indeed, as the prince had requested, they finished together.

Agni wasn't sure when the prince collapsed, but he found himself with his arms wrapped around the young man's lithe body, cradling him tightly. Everything about the prince was perfect and beautiful, from the sweat beading down his spine, to the soft violet hair that fell into Agni's face. As he caught his breath, he let himself savor the smell of that hair, finally reaching with his left hand to loosen the ribbon that was holding less and less of it back. It cascaded down the young man's shoulders and as he sat up on his elbows Agni pushed it out of his face and gazed up at him.

"You are very beautiful," Agni said. "Soma."

The prince smiled and kissed him softly on the lips. "I like it when you call me that," he said. "It makes me feel closer to you, which is all that I want."

"Yes," Agni said. Then after some thought added, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"You are merciful to me even after I betrayed you," Agni said, his guilt beginning to gnaw at him again.

"You didn't betray me. You were faithful to me even when we were apart." Soma said. "Nobody has ever loved me the way you do."

"You are my master and my god," Agni said with utmost certainty.

Soma was silent at that, but he gently laid his head back down on Agni's chest, breathing hot, tired breath on the khansama's neck.

For many long moments they lay together like that. Agni let himself run his fingers through Soma's hair, savoring the feeling of having the young man's smaller weight on top of him once again. Every night he'd spent at the West manor, he'd laid awake in the bed he'd been given, believing he'd never feel the prince's chest rising and falling against his own again. At the time, he'd told himself it was a worthy sacrifice to save his god from the grief of learning the truth about Mina, but in the silent moments they now shared together in the Phantomhive townhouse, he knew he could never bear to be apart from his prince again.

At last, after the minutes stretched on, the prince shifted from where he lay so that he could settle on Agni's side and run a flattened palm over the sparse white hair that grew on his chest.

"Agni," he soon said, softly. "May I tell you something?"

"Of course, my prince," Agni said moving the arm that was still wrapped around the young man's body so that he could idly trace circles on the young man's lower back with his fingertips.

"I... I want to share kama with you again," the prince whispered, laughing softly.

"Yes, my prince. And I with you," Agni said. "Allow me to clean you up and retrieve some oil so that we may spend the rest of the night together without any discomfort."

"Oh," Soma said, sliding the rest of the way off of the larger man's body and to let him rise from the bed and prepare the wash basin. "Did it hurt you? I thought spit would be enough this time..." he gasped, suddenly, "Agni, you're bleeding!"

Agni shrugged as he stood at the dresser and poured fresh water from the porcelain pitcher that had been left for the prince. "Any pain you might cause me is nothing compared to the privilege of being with you."

Soma sighed and curled up on his side, watching Agni's movements as he clutched his knees to his chest. "I… I hope so. I would also hope that applies to your feelings as well."

"Of course," Agni nodded, dipping a corner one of the soft, white towels in the water and then rolling it in his hands to warm it up.

"What I mean is that I hope you don't feel like I took you for granted in the past," Soma continued. "I hope you don't think that I used you."

"I am your khansama," Agni said, returning to the bed and kneeling beside it.

"But you're more than a servant to me," Soma replied, sitting upright, clenching his fist.

"And you are more than my master," Agni agreed before gingerly patting clean the young man's body. "You are my god, and I am your devotee."

"Well," Soma folded his arms behind his head and let himself be tended to. "If we offer sacrifices to the gods to earn their favor, then I suppose I am greatly in the favor of my sole worshipper."

Agni pressed his palms together and bowed deeply. "You honor me."

"Hey," Soma gave a short laugh and reached for Agni's chin, lifting his face to smile down at him. "We'll do our praying together in the morning. For now, why don't you go and try to find that oil?"

At this, Agni gratefully returned the prince's smile. "Jo ajna… Soma."


End file.
